Method for booking travel arrangements

ABSTRACT

A method for identifying destinations within a user&#39;s travel budget, and booking airfare and accommodations for those destinations. The method may comprise: providing a server configured to host a website and databases for accessing the website; inputting a budget, point of origin, and travel dates; searching the airfare databases for flights based on the point of origin and travel dates; wherein the flights on those travel dates cost less than the budget; storing information of the cheapest flight in the server; searching the accommodations databases for accommodations in each of those destinations; storing matching accommodations in the server; displaying the list of all destinations where the price of airfare and the price of accommodations are within their budget; and allowing the user to book airfare and accommodations. These methods allow a user to search for and book the optimal combination of airfare and accommodations within their travel budget.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This disclosure relates to methods that enable travelers to (1) identifydestinations which are within their travel budget based upon real-timeairfare and accommodation data, and that may match the travelers'geographic or lifestyle preferences, and; (2) book the optimalcombination of airfare and accommodations for one or more selecteddestinations.

BACKGROUND

When it comes to planning their vacations, most people start with twopieces of information: how much money they can spend, and what datesthey want to travel. For most people, these two factors are a given.They have saved a certain amount of money for airfare plusaccommodations, and they know which dates they will have off from workor school. What many people do not know is where they can afford totravel, given their budget and availability.

Currently, there is no method to enable travelers to identify all of thedestinations to which they can afford to fly and lodge, based uponreal-time information. Nor is there any method to enable travelers toidentify all of the destinations where they might want to travel in thefirst place. Instead, the undecided traveler must use guess-work: he orshe must select a handful of destinations that they are already familiarwith, search for flights and accommodations for those locations, andthen laboriously compare the results to determine the best traveldestination. The limitation of this process is that it takesconsiderable time, and requires the traveler to know where they want togo in the first place. As a result, travelers never consider a multitudeof relevant destinations that match their budget and personality.Consequentially, many travelers never take their perfect vacations, andinstead opt to visit the same touristy places year after year.

To solve this problem what is needed is a method that determines where atraveler can afford to visit, based on their budget and dates of travel,which utilizes real-time flight and accommodation data. To make theresults even more compatible for the traveler, the results may befiltered by various qualities that are important to that user, such aswhether the destinations are warm, budget friendly, or offer a vibrantnightlife.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To minimize the limitations in the prior art, and to minimize otherlimitations that will become apparent upon reading and understanding thepresent specification, the following discloses a method for users toinput their dates of travel, budget, and various travel preferences, andthe process finds the best places that fit all of those criteria. Inessence, one embodiment process may be a multi-phase search thatdetermines: (A) the price of cheapest flight, plus (B) the price ofvacant accommodation; that (C) when combined is less than or equal to anentered budget. The resulting destinations may be ranked by the numberof matching personality-criteria. The process may then enable the userto pick and book the optimal combination of accommodation and airfare totheir chosen destination. By using this process, a person may save hoursof search and planning time, and, visit places they may have neverconsidered or thought they could afford.

One embodiment may be a method for booking travel arrangements,comprising: providing at least one server configured to host a website;providing one or more databases; wherein the website is configured toaccess the one or more databases; accessing the website on one or morecomputer systems by one or more users; prompting the one or more usersto input a budget, one or more points of origin, and one or more traveldates by the website; inputting the budget, the one or more points oforigin, and the one or more travel dates by the one or more users;searching the one or more databases by the website for a plurality offlights based on the one or more points of origin and the one or moretravel dates; wherein the plurality of flights have an airfare cost thatis less than the budget, such that a list of selected flights isgenerated; storing the list of selected flights in the at least oneserver; searching the one or more databases for a plurality ofaccommodations based on a plurality of destinations listed in the listof selected flights, the one or more travel dates, and an accommodationscost that is less than a remaining balance of the budget, such that aplurality of matching accommodations is created that matches up with theplurality of flights on the list of selected flights; wherein theremaining balance is an amount of the budget less the airfare cost;storing the one or more plurality of matching accommodations in the atleast one server; and displaying to the one or more users the list ofselected flights and the plurality of matching accommodations. Themethod may further comprise: selecting by the one or more users at leastone of the plurality of flights listed on the list of selected flightsand at least one of the plurality of matching accommodations, such thatan itinerary is created. The website may not prompt the one or moreusers to enter one or more travel destinations when the one or moreusers input the budget. The displaying step of the plurality of matchingaccommodations may further comprise the step of: displaying theplurality of matching accommodations from most expensive to leastexpensive. The method for booking travel arrangements may furthercomprise: displaying a final balance of the budget to the one or moreusers; wherein the final balance may be an amount of the budget less theairfare cost and an accommodations cost. The at least one of the one ormore databases may comprise a qualities database; wherein the qualitiesdatabase may comprise a data of one or more qualities of one or moretravel destinations. The method for booking hotel and travel may furthercomprise the step: prompting the one or more users to select a conciergeservice; wherein the concierge service may be configured to allow theone or more users to search one or more travel destinations based on theone or more qualities of the one or more travel destinations. The one orqualities may be selected from the group of qualities consisting of: ageographic region, a seasonal activity, and a language. The method forbooking travel arrangements may further comprise the step of: displayingthe one or more travel destinations based on the one or more qualities.The displaying step of the one or more travel destinations may be basedon the one or more qualities, further comprises the step of: displayinga percentage; wherein the percentage may be a proportion of the one ormore qualities in relation to the one or more travel destinations.

Another embodiment may be a method for booking travel arrangements,comprising: providing at least one server configured to host a website;providing one or more databases; wherein the website is configured toaccess the one or more databases; accessing the website on one or morecomputer systems by one or more users; prompting the one or more usersto input a budget, one or more points of origin, and one or more traveldates by the website; inputting the budget, the one or more points oforigin, and the one or more travel dates by the one or more users;searching the one or more databases by the website for a plurality offlights based on the one or more points of origin and the one or moretravel dates; wherein the plurality of flights have an airfare cost thatis less than the budget, such that a list of selected flights isgenerated; storing the list of selected flights in the at least oneserver; searching the one or more databases for a plurality ofaccommodations based on a plurality of destinations listed in the listof selected flights, the one or more travel dates, and an accommodationscost that is less than a remaining balance of the budget, such that aplurality of matching accommodations is created that matches up with theplurality of flights on the list of selected flights; wherein theremaining balance is an amount of the budget less the airfare cost;storing the one or more plurality of matching accommodations in the atleast one server; displaying to the one or more users the list ofselected flights and the plurality of matching accommodations; andselecting by the one or more users at least one of the plurality offlights listed on the list of selected flights and the plurality ofmatching accommodations, such that an itinerary is created. The websitemay not prompt the one or more users to enter one or more traveldestinations when the one or more users input the budget. The displayingstep of the plurality of matching accommodations may further comprisethe step of: displaying the plurality of matching accommodations frommost expensive to least expensive. The method for booking travelarrangements may further comprise: displaying a final balance of thebudget to the one or more users; wherein the final balance may be anamount of the budget less the airfare cost and the accommodations cost.The at least one of the one or more databases may comprise a qualitiesdatabase; wherein the qualities database may comprise a data of one ormore qualities of the one or more travel destinations. The method forbooking hotel and travel may further comprise the step: prompting theone or more users to select a concierge service; wherein the conciergeservice may be configured to allow the one or more users to search theone or more travel destinations based on the one or more qualities ofthe one or more travel destinations. The one or qualities may beselected from the group of qualities consisting of: a geographic region,a seasonal activity, and a language. The method for booking travelarrangements may further comprise the step of: displaying the one ormore travel destinations based on the one or more qualities. Thedisplaying step of the one or more travel destinations based on the oneor more qualities may further comprise the step of: displaying apercentage; wherein the percentage may be a proportion of the one ormore qualities in relation to the one or more travel destinations.

Another embodiment may be a method for booking travel arrangements,comprising: providing at least one server configured to host a website;providing one or more databases; wherein the website is configured toaccess the one or more databases; accessing the website on one or morecomputer systems by one or more users; prompting the one or more usersto input a budget, one or more points of origin, and one or more traveldates by the website; inputting the budget, the one or more points oforigin, and the one or more travel dates by the one or more users;wherein the website does not prompt the one or more users to enter oneor more travel destinations when the one or more users input the budget;searching the one or more databases by the website for a plurality offlights based on the one or more points of origin and the one or moretravel dates; wherein the plurality of flights have an airfare cost thatis less than the budget, such that a list of selected flights isgenerated; storing the list of selected flights in the at least oneserver; searching the one or more databases for a plurality ofaccommodations based on a plurality of destinations listed in the listof selected flights, the one or more travel dates, and an accommodationscost that is less than a remaining balance of the budget, such that aplurality of matching accommodations is created that matches up with theplurality of flights on the list of selected flights; wherein theremaining balance is an amount of the budget less the airfare cost;storing the one or more plurality of matching accommodations in the atleast one server; wherein at least one of the one or more databasescomprise a qualities database; wherein the qualities database comprisesa data of one or more qualities of the one or more travel destinations;prompting the one or more users to select a concierge service; whereinthe concierge service is configured to allow the one or more users tosearch the one or more travel destinations based on the one or morequalities of the one or more travel destinations; receiving a selectionof the concierge service from the one or more users; displaying to theone or more users the list of selected flights, the plurality ofmatching accommodations, a final balance of the budget, one or moretravel destinations based on the one or more qualities, and apercentage; wherein the final balance is an amount of the budget lessthe airfare cost and the accommodations cost; wherein the percentage isa proportion of the one or more qualities in relation to the one or moretravel destinations; and selecting by the one or more users at least oneof the plurality of flights listed on the list of selected flights andat least one of the plurality of matching accommodations, such that anitinerary is created.

Another embodiment may be a method for booking travel arrangements,comprising: providing at least one server configured to host a website;accessing the website on one or more computer systems by one or moreusers; prompting the one or more users to input one or more searchparameters by the website; receiving the one or more search parametersfrom the one or more users by the at least one server; storing the oneor more search parameters in a memory of the at least one server;searching one or more databases to identify one or more travel optionsbased on the one or more search parameters of the one or more users;displaying one or more identified travel options based on the one ormore search parameters to the one or more users; wherein the one or moresearch parameters comprise a budget of the one or more users; andwherein the one or more identified travel options displayed to the oneor more users have a total cost that is less than the budget of the oneor more users. At least one of the one or more databases may comprise aqualities database; wherein the qualities database comprises a data ofone or more qualities of the one or more travel destinations. The one ormore search parameters may be selected from the group of searchparameters consisting of: one or more travel dates; one or more traveldestinations; one or more points of origin; and number of peopletraveling. The method for booking travel arrangements may furthercomprise the step of: providing an affiliate hotel network and anaffiliate airfare network; wherein the affiliate hotel network and theaffiliate airfare network comprise the one or more databases; andwherein the one or more databases comprise an information of the one ormore travel options. The one or more search parameters may comprise aconcierge service; wherein the concierge service may be configured toallow the one or more users to search one or more travel destinationsbased on the one or more qualities of the one or more traveldestinations. The displaying step of the one or more travel options mayfurther comprise the step of: displaying one or more travel destinationsbased on the one or more qualities. The displaying step of the one ormore travel destinations based on the one or more qualities may furthercomprise the step of: displaying a percentage; wherein the percentage isa proportion of the one or more qualities in relation to the one or moretravel destinations. The one or more displayed travel options maycomprise: a price of the one or more airfares; a price of the one ormore hotel accommodations; and a remaining balance of the budget of theone or more users. The displaying step of the one or more travel optionsmay further comprise the step of: displaying the one or more hotelaccommodations from most expensive to least expensive. The method forbooking travel arrangements may further comprise: allowing the one ormore users to select the one or more travel options to create anitinerary.

Another embodiment may be a method for booking travel arrangements,comprising: providing at least one server configured to host a website;accessing the website on one or more computer systems by one or moreusers; prompting the one or more users to input one or more searchparameters by the website; receiving the one or more search parametersfrom the one or more users by the at least one server; storing the oneor more search parameters in a memory of the at least one server;searching one or more databases to identify one or more travel optionsbased on the one or more search parameters of the one or more users;displaying one or more identified travel options based on the one ormore search parameters to the one or more users; and allowing the one ormore users to select the one or more travel options to create anitinerary; wherein the one or more search parameters comprise a budgetof the one or more users; and wherein the one or more identified traveloptions displayed to the one or more users have a total cost that isless than the budget of the one or more users. At least one of the oneor more databases may comprise a qualities database; wherein thequalities database may comprise a data of one or more qualities of theone or more travel destinations. The one or more search parameters maybe selected from the group of search parameters consisting of: one ormore travel dates; one or more travel destinations; one or more pointsof origin; and number of people traveling. The method for booking travelarrangements may further comprise: providing an affiliate hotel networkand an affiliate airfare network; wherein the affiliate hotel networkand the affiliate airfare network may comprise the one or moredatabases; and wherein the one or more databases may comprise aninformation of the one or more travel options. The one or more searchparameters may comprise a concierge service; wherein the conciergeservice may be configured to allow the one or more users to search oneor more travel destinations based on the one or more qualities of theone or more travel destinations. The one or qualities may be selectedfrom the group of qualities consisting of: a geographic region, aseasonal activity, and a language. The displaying step of the one ormore travel options may further comprise the step of: displaying one ormore travel destinations based on the one or more qualities. Thedisplaying step of the one or more travel destinations based on the oneor more qualities may further comprises the step of: displaying apercentage; wherein the percentage may be a proportion of the one ormore qualities in relation to the one or more travel destinations. Theone or more displayed travel options may comprise: a price of the one ormore airfares; a price of the one or more hotel accommodations; and aremaining balance of the budget of the one or more users.

Another embodiment may be a method for booking travel arrangements,comprising: providing at least one server configured to host a website;providing an affiliate hotel network and an affiliate airfare network;wherein the affiliate hotel network and the affiliate airfare networkcomprise one or more databases; wherein the one or more databasescomprise an information of the one or more travel options; wherein atleast one of the one or more databases comprise a qualities database;wherein the qualities database comprises a data of one or more qualitiesof the one or more travel destinations; accessing the website on one ormore computer systems by one or more users; prompting the one or moreusers to input one or more search parameters by the website; wherein theone or more search parameters comprise a budget of the one or moreusers; wherein the one or more identified travel options displayed tothe one or more users have a total cost that is less than the budget ofthe one or more users; wherein the one or more search parameterscomprise a concierge service; wherein the concierge service isconfigured to allow the one or more users to search one or more traveldestinations based on the one or more qualities of the one or moretravel destinations; wherein the one or qualities is selected from thegroup of qualities consisting of: a geographic region, a seasonalactivity, and a language; receiving the one or more search parametersfrom the one or more users by the at least one server; storing the oneor more search parameters in a memory of the at least one server;searching one or more databases to identify one or more travel optionsbased on the one or more search parameters of the one or more users;wherein at least one of the one or more databases comprise a qualitiesdatabase; wherein the qualities database comprises a data of one or morequalities of the one or more travel destinations; displaying one or moreidentified travel options based on the one or more search parameters tothe one or more users; wherein the one or more displayed travel optionscomprise: a price of the one or more airfares; a price of the one ormore hotel accommodations; and a remaining balance of the budget of theone or more users; displaying one or more travel destinations based onthe one or more qualities; displaying a percentage; wherein thepercentage is a proportion of the one or more qualities in relation tothe one or more travel destinations; and allowing the one or more usersto select the one or more travel options to create an itinerary.

It is an object to overcome the limitations of the prior art.

Additional embodiments will be understood from the following detaileddescription of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings are of illustrative embodiments. They do not illustrate allembodiments. Other embodiments may be used in addition or instead.Details which may be apparent or unnecessary may be omitted to savespace or for more effective illustration. Some embodiments may bepracticed with additional components or steps and/or without all of thecomponents or steps which are illustrated. When the same numeral appearsin different drawings, it refers to the same or like components orsteps.

FIG. 1 is a flow chart of one embodiment of the method for bookingtravel arrangements.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a computer system.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a system for bookingtravel arrangements.

FIG. 4 is a screenshot of one embodiment of the website for bookingtravel arrangements and shows one embodiment of the introductionwebpage.

FIG. 5 is a screenshot of another embodiment of the website for bookingtravel arrangements and shows one embodiment of the basic searchwebpage.

FIG. 6 is a screenshot of another embodiment of the website for bookingtravel arrangements and shows one embodiment of the search resultswebpage if concierge service is not selected.

FIG. 7 is a screenshot of another embodiment of the website for bookingtravel arrangements and shows one embodiment of the concierge servicescreen.

FIG. 8 is a screenshot of another embodiment of the website for bookingtravel arrangements and shows one embodiment of the search resultswebpage if concierge service is selected.

FIG. 9 is a screenshot of one embodiment of a confirmation email sent bythe server after the travel options have been selected.

FIGS. 10A and 10B are flow charts of a preferred embodiment of themethod for booking travel arrangements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following detailed description of various embodiments of themethod for booking travel arrangements, numerous specific details areset forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of variousaspects of one or more embodiments. However, the one or more embodimentsmay be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In otherinstances, well-known methods, procedures, and/or components have notbeen described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects ofembodiments.

While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments of themethod for booking travel arrangements will become apparent to thoseskilled in the art from the following detailed description, which showsand describes illustrative embodiments of the method. As will berealized, the following disclosure is capable of modifications invarious obvious aspects, all without departing from the spirit and scopeof the present invention. Accordingly, the screen shot figures, and thedetailed descriptions thereof, are to be regarded as illustrative innature and not restrictive. Also, the reference or non-reference to aparticular embodiment of the invention shall not be interpreted to limitthe scope of the invention.

In the following description, certain terminology is used to describecertain features of one or more embodiments of the invention. Forinstance, the terms “computer”, “computer system”, “server”, and“electronic data processing unit” may refer to any device that processesinformation with an integrated circuit chip, including withoutlimitation, mainframe computers, work stations, servers, desktopcomputers, portable computers, laptop computers, embedded computers,wireless devices including cellular phones, tablet computers, personaldigital assistants, digital media players, portable game players, andhand-held computers.

As used herein, the term “Internet” may refer to any collection ofnetworks that utilizes standard protocols, whether Ethernet, Token ring,Wi-Fi, asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), Fiber Distributed DataInterface (FDDI), code division multiple access (CDMA), global systemsfor mobile communications (GSM), long term evolution (LTE), or anycombination thereof.

As used herein, the terms “application”, “software”, and “softwareapplication” generally refer to any set of machine-readable instructionson a client machine, web interface, and/or computer system, that directsa computer's processor to perform specific steps, processes, oroperations disclosed herein.

As used herein, the terms “webpage”, “page”, “website”, or “site”generally refers to any of the various documents and resources on theWorld Wide Web, in HTML/XHTML format with hypertext links to enablenavigation from one page or section to another, or similar suchresources used on the Internet. The webpage, page, website, or site mayutilize a separate search engine and may engage in performing searcheson various databases.

The terms “qualities”, “travel qualities”, and “qualities of one or moretravel destinations” may refer to any characteristic, feature, ordistinctive attribute possessed by an area location belonging to ordistinguishing one travel destination from another. Such qualities mayinclude, without limitation, locations based on: climate (e.g., summer,winter, spring, and fall), geographic features (e.g., beaches, mountainsummits), seasonal activities (e.g., snowboarding, surfing, horsebackriding, camping), nightlife, historical sites (e.g., buildings,landscapes, sites or structures that are of local, regional, or nationalsignificance), food popularity, marital status (e.g., single men orsingle women), sexual orientation friendly (e.g., heterosexual, gay,bisexual), budget (e.g., cheaper lodging and entertainment), expensive,artistic (e.g., museums and galleries), gambling (e.g., casinos),hipster locations (e.g., artsy, budget friendly, foodie locations, etc.. . . ), family friendly locations, romance (e.g., honeymoon locations),fashion (i.e., locations known for fashion or shopping). Such qualitiesmay also include locations based on a particular language (e.g.,English, French, German, Japanese, Mandarin, Spanish, etc. . . . ),and/or particular continent (e.g., Asia, Europe, North America, Southand Central America, Africa, Middle East, and India).

The terms “travel option” and “identified travel option” may refer toany airfare or hotel accommodations that are searched, selected, andpresented to the user for creating an itinerary for the user.

The term “travel destination” generally refers to any geographicallocation, city, or place to which a person intends to travel or is sentto on business.

FIG. 1 is a flow chart of one embodiment of the method for bookingtravel arrangements. As shown in FIG. 1, one embodiment of the method100 may comprise: providing at least one server configured to host awebsite, an affiliate hotel network, and an affiliate airfare network105; accessing the website on one or more computer systems by one ormore users 110; prompting the one or more users to input one or moresearch parameters by the website 115; receiving the one or more searchparameters from the one or more users by the server 120; storing the oneor more search parameters in a memory of the server 125; searching oneor more databases to identify one or more travel options based on theone or more search parameters of the one or more users 130; displayingone or more identified travel options based on the one or more searchparameters to the one or more users 135; and allowing the one or moreusers to select the one or more identified travel options to create anitinerary 140.

FIG. 1 shows the first step of the method 100, which may be providing atleast one server configured to provide a website, an affiliate network,and an affiliate airfare network 105. The website may be any set ofinterconnected webpages (usually including a homepage and generallylocated on the server) and may be prepared and maintained as acollection of information by a person, group, or organization. Thewebsite may be configured to prompt a user to enter his or her usernameand password information and may be capable of receiving and sendinghypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) requests or a web container thatgenerally provides an environment for servlets and Java Server Pages(JSP) to run. Additionally, the website may gather browser history,internet protocol (IP) location, and other information from the user,and may provide additional webpages such as travel blogs to encourageusers to revisit the website and to keep the website relevant insearches by search engines.

The at least one server may be a system (i.e., software and suitablecomputer hardware) that responds to requests across a computer networkto provide, or help to provide, airfare, hotel, and travelaccommodations for that website. In a preferred embodiment, the servermay host the website in the Internet.

The affiliate hotel network and an affiliate airfare network may be anycollection of networks that utilize multiple databases for searchingflights. The affiliate hotel network may be used for searchingaffordable hotel accommodations on the selected travel dates, whereasthe affiliate airfare network may be used for searching the mostaffordable airfare on the those travel dates. Generally, the number ofdestinations and number of hotel accommodations that are available maydepend on the technical capacity of the chosen affiliate network.

The databases may comprise a “qualities” database, which may be anystructured set of data used to characterize certain qualities of aparticular destination. The data and information contained in aqualities database may be compiled by a team of well-traveledresearchers who analyze each particular travel destination and may alsobe compiled based on reviews of each travel destination, promotionalliterature for that travel destination, and the like. In a preferredembodiment, the data and information in the qualities database may beused for searching travel arrangements via the concierge service.

FIG. 1 also shows the second step of the method 100, which may beaccessing the website on one or more computer systems by one or moreusers 110. A user of a computer system may access the webpages of thewebsite by utilizing a computer system. The computer system may be anydevice with an electronic data processor such as a personal computer,tablet, or smartphone, but may also be any device that is capable ofaccessing the website, such as a smart television set. In a preferredembodiment, the computer system comprises a web browser that may beconfigured for a user to visit or access the website to perform themethod 100.

The method 100 may also comprise the third and fourth steps, which maybe prompting the one or more users to input one or more searchparameters by the website 115 and receiving the one or more searchparameters from the one or more users by the server 120. After the useraccesses the website on the computer system, the website may prompt theuser to input search parameters into the website to search hotel andflight information and book certain hotels and airfare. Such searchparameters may comprise personal user information, including but notlimited to: budget, number of travelers, dates of travel, locations fortraveling (destinations and starting locations), and concierge service.The concierge service may be one or more search parameters that allowthe user to select certain travel destinations based on the dynamicpreferences of the user or the desired qualities of the traveldestinations. For example, such qualities may be based on, but are notlimited to, climate, geographic features, seasonal activities,nightlife, historical sites, food popularity, marital status, sexualorientation, budget/expense of living in the destination, luxury, artscene, wine culture, foodie scene, outdoor recreation, gambling,continent, hipster locations, romance, fashion, dog or pet friendly, andlanguages spoken. Such qualities may be created and corresponded with aparticular travel destination by researching the most popularcities/destinations in the world for traveling. For example, in oneembodiment, the researching experts may find and correspond the city ofRio de Janeiro with the qualities of: nightlife; beaches; budgetfriendly; summertime (if the travel dates are between November 1 toApril 15), single men; and South America. Also, when selecting theconcierge service, the user may be asked to login to the website via ausername and password. After being prompted by the website, the user mayinput such search parameters in order for the server to receive the oneor more search parameters.

The method 100 may also comprise the fifth and sixth steps—i.e., storingthe one or more search parameters in a memory of the server 125 andsearching one or more databases to identify one or more travel optionsbased on the one or more search parameters of the one or more users 130.After the user has inputted his or her search parameters into thewebsite of the server, the search parameters may be stored in the memoryof the server. Once the search parameters are stored in the memory orcache of the server, the server may perform a search on one or moredatabases, for example, the databases might databases of an affiliatedairfare networks (e.g., ITA software, Priceline®, Expedia®, AirlineTariff Publishing Company (APTCO)) and hotel networks, in response tothe user's needs. This may involve comparing the search parameterinformation of the user with other information located in otherdatabases. For example, if the search parameter of the user includes acertain budget, the budget data may be stored in the server and may beused to compare with other airfare and hotel prices that the user canafford. Specifically, the server may run a search in an affiliatenetwork for travel destinations where the total airfare ticket prices isbelow the total budget of the user on the selected travel dates.Information for travel destinations where the total airfare ticket pricefor all travelers is below the user's budget may be temporarily storedin a certain memory location or cache in the server (e.g., “flaggeddestination” cache), and the cheapest flight information(s) may bestored in the temporary cache (e.g., cache labeled “airfare”). Theamount remaining in the total budget, after the airfare is deducted, maybe stored in the accommodations budget.

Similarly, the server or website may run another search in the one ormore affiliate hotel networks to determine those hotel and lodgingaccommodations that are affordable for each flagged destination on theselected travel dates. For each flagged destination, the website maysearch for hotels, hostels, or rental homes which may be: (1) availableduring the selected travel dates, and (2) less than or equal to thebudget of the user. Any destination without accommodations matching bothcriteria may be eliminated and the most expensive/highest qualityhotel(s) within the budget may be selected and stored in the temporarycache (e.g., “Accommodation” cache). This generally allows the method100 to select the most expensive/highest quality hotel available afterthe costs of the cheapest airfare is deducted. A user may thus visualizeand compare what quality of hotel he or she can afford to stay if theuser visits different destinations with the same budget.

Finally, FIG. 1 also shows the seventh and eight steps—i.e., displayingone or more identified travel options based on the one or more searchparameters to the one or more users 135 and allowing the one or moreusers to select the one or more identified travel options to create anitinerary 140. After the server has performed a search on otherdatabases based on the search parameters, the website may display one ormore identified travel options for booking travel. Specifically, theidentified travel options that are displayed to the user may have atotal cost that is less than the budget indicated by the user. Thetravel options may be airfare accommodations and hotel accommodationsand may be displayed in a certain order. For instance, the traveloptions may be displayed alphabetically or based upon the user's budget(e.g., airfare that is least expensive to most expensive, or hotelaccommodations from most expensive to least expensive). The website mayalso display other travel option information such as the price of theairfares, price of the hotel accommodations, and remaining balance ofthe user's budget. In an alternative embodiment, the website may displayone or more travel destinations based on the desired qualities of thetravel destinations. The website may also display a percentage, whichmay indicate the proportion of the qualities in relation to a particulartravel destination. After the travel options are displayed to the user,the user may select those travel options that he or she desires, therebycreating an itinerary for his or her travel. Alternatively, the user maymodify components of the travel options to further customize his or heritinerary. For example, if the user decides to change hotelaccommodations, the user may be able to see what hotels in that city arevacant and the difference in budget during the selected travel dates.The user may also increase the accommodations budget, modify the roomtype, and/or modify the airfare component. For example, if the userdecides to modify the airfare component, the user may be able to seewhat air carriers and flight times are available within the airfarebudget during the days of travel. The user may also increase theirairfare budget or modify the airfare by class, dates, and layovers.

Although FIG. 1 shows only eight steps, it should be understood that anynumber of steps may be used, and that some steps may be performed at thesame time or out of order. For example, after the user selects his orher desired travel options, the user may be directed to a payment screenand/or confirmation screen. In the payment screen, the user may loginwith a username and password, unless the website has already logged theuser previously (e.g., via the concierge service). The user may alsoprovide payment for the desired travel option using his or her creditcard information, and various combinations of travel options may becompleted in a single transaction.

Regarding the confirmation screen, the user may be presented with threeconfirmation numbers: (1) the confirmation number created by the companyor website; (2) the air carrier's confirmation number; and (3) the hotelor hostel's confirmation number. In the confirmation screen, the usermay also be asked to explain the details about his or her trip via atravel blog and that a confirmation email (shown in FIG. 9) may be sentto the user. The confirmation email may identify all the informationabove, but may also include additional information such as traveldiscounts based on a certain destination and personality profile.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a computer system. Asshown in FIG. 2, one embodiment of a computer system 200 may comprise: adisplay 205; computer-readable storage device 210; display controller215; read only memory (ROM) 220; disk controller 225; communication bus230; random access memory (RAM) 235; input/output interface (I/Ointerface) 240; processor 245; and one or more input devices 255. Invarious embodiments, the computer system 200 may be a personal computeror mobile computing device that comprises a processor 245 connectedthrough a communication bus 230, which may connect to other variouselectronic hardware, including without limitation, a display controller215, RAM 235; ROM 220; disk controller 225; and I/O interface 240. Thedisk controller 225 may be configured to control the computer-readablestorage device 210, which may be a hard drive, optical disk drive, oranother form of computer memory. The display controller 215 is generallyconnected to the display 205 such as a liquid crystal display (LCD),projection system, or touchscreen. The computer system 200 may also haveat least one display screen to display the search results to a user andmay include, without limitation, an liquid crystal display (LCD),cathode ray tube (CRT), light emitting diode (LED), and the like. TheI/O interface 240 may be connected to one or more input devices such asa keyboard and/or mouse.

The processor 245 may be configured to execute a set of computerreadable instructions and further to execute one or more applications orcomputer program such as the web browser. In other various embodiments,the computer readable instructions or application may be tangiblyembodied in the memory of the computer system such as the RAM 235 or ROM220, or on a computer-readable storage medium, such as a magnetic,optical or solid-state digital storage medium. The computer system 200may also include other components without deviating from the scope ofthe invention.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a system for bookingtravel arrangements. As shown in FIG. 3, an embodiment of the system 300for booking travel arrangements may comprise: one or more servers 305,Internet 310, computer system 315, and one or more databases 320, 325,330, 335. The server 305 may be another computer system or computerprogram that manages access to a centralized resource or service in anetwork and may host a website for online travel booking. The Internet310 may be a computer network comprising a worldwide network of computernetworks that use the TCP/IP network protocols to facilitate datatransmission and exchange. The computer system 315 may be any computingdevice designed for individual use such as browsing the Internet 310 orWorld Wide Web, and may be used for booking hotel and travel through thepresent method 100. The databases 320, 325, 330, 335 may be any hardwareconfiguration with a central processing unit used to store data for thedatabases of various travel booking sites.

FIG. 3 also shows how the method 100 may be performed. Specifically, auser may access a website of the server 305 via the Internet 310 throughthe computer system 315. In response, the website may prompt the user toinput one or more search parameters. After inputting search parametersinto the website, the server 305 may receive the search parameters fromthe user and store those search parameters into the server's memory orcache. The server 305 then may search one or more databases to identifytravel options based on the search parameters of the user. This mayinvolve reviewing data stored in databases 320, 325, 330, 335. Afterreviewing the deals, the computer system 315 may display one or moretravel options to the user, and the user may then select certain traveloptions to create an itinerary. Although FIG. 41 shows the system 300with four different databases 320, 325, 330, 335, the system 300 mayfunction with any number of databases.

FIG. 4 is a screenshot of one embodiment of the website for bookingtravel arrangements and shows one embodiment of the introductionwebpage. As shown in FIG. 4, one embodiment of introduction webpage 400of the website may comprise: a title 405, a prompt 410; and an inputfield 415. The title 405 may be the title of the website hosted on theserver 305 or the name of the company. A prompt 410 may be anyinstruction, question, tutorial, or message by the website used to alertthe user to enter a search parameter into an input field 415. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 4, the website may prompt the user to input abudget by stating “Where can we go for?”. The user may then enter his orher budget amount into the input field 415.

FIG. 5 is a screenshot of another embodiment of the website for bookingtravel arrangements and shows one embodiment of the basic searchwebpage. As shown in FIG. 5, one embodiment of the basic search webpage500 of the website may comprise: prompts 505, 510, 515, 520; inputfields 525, 530, 535, 540, 545, 550; and a checkbox 555. The prompts505, 510, 515 may ask the user to input additional search parametersinto the input fields 525, 530, 535, 540, 545, 550, and the input fields525, 530, 535, 540, 545, 550 may be used to enter those searchparameters in response to the prompts 505, 510, 515. For instance,prompt 505 may ask the user to input the number of travelers while inputfield 525 and input field 530 may be used to enter the number of kidsand adults traveling. Similarly, prompt 510 may ask the user to inputthe dates for traveling, while input field 535 and input field 540 maybe entered to input the departing date and the return date.Additionally, prompt 515 may ask the user to input the travel locations,while input field 545 and field 550 may be used to enter the departinglocation and desired travel destination. In an embodiment, the name ofthe departing location and travel destination may be auto-populated.Although FIG. 5 shows that a destination may be inserted, in a preferredembodiment, the destination field is not completed. Finally, prompt 520may ask the user if he or she would like concierge service. In response,the user may select the checkbox 555 to include concierge service forhis or her itinerary and may be led to a concierge service screen forselecting one or more qualities that would be desired in the user'sselection for a travel destination. Although FIG. 5 shows four prompts,any number prompts may be shown in the website without deviating fromthe scope of the invention. Additionally, although FIG. 5 shows that thenumber of travelers may be divided into kids and adults, the method 100may include a search parameter of the total number of travelers withoutthe distinguishing adults and kids.

FIG. 6 is a screenshot of another embodiment of the website for bookingtravel arrangements and shows one embodiment of the search resultswebpage if concierge service is not selected. As shown in FIG. 6, oneembodiment of the search results webpage 600 of the website may comprisetravel options 605, 610, 615, 620. Each travel option may be a potentialtravel destination in which the user may select for traveling and maycomprise the price for the airfare, price for hotel accommodations, andremaining spare cash for the user. For example, based on a user's budgetof $2,000, travel option 605 shows that a trip to Bangkok, Thailand mayresult with an airfare expense of $1,600, hotel expense of $360, andremaining spare cash of $40. Similarly, a trip to Cancun, Mexico mayresult with an airfare expense of $700, hotel expense of $1,200, andremaining spare cash of $100.

The travel options 605, 610, 615, 620 may be arranged in alphabeticalorder or based on budget (e.g., from least expensive to most expensiveairfare, from most expensive hotel to least expensive hotel). Forexample, the website may list the travel options from the cheapestairfare and most expensive hotel available to the most expensive airfareand least expensive hotel available. The user may also edit theinformation in the identified travel options by selecting and changingvarious airfare and hotel lodging accommodations. Although FIG. 6 showsfour travel options, it should be understood that any number of traveloptions may be displayed by the website. Additionally, although FIG. 6shows the travel options displayed in alphabetical order, the traveloptions may be displayed in any order.

FIG. 7 is a screenshot of another embodiment of the website for bookingtravel arrangements and shows one embodiment of the concierge servicescreen. As shown in FIG. 7, another embodiment of the concierge servicescreen 700 may comprise: prompts 705, 715; input field 710; andqualities 720. Prompt 705 may ask the user to input an additional searchparameter of a minimum star rating for hotel lodging accommodations, andthe user may enter the desired minimum star rating for a particularaccommodation in input field 710. Additionally, prompt 715 may also askthe user to input additional search parameters of “preferred qualities”or qualities 720 of certain travel destination locations. As discussedabove, qualities 720 may refer to any characteristic, feature, ordistinctive attribute possessed by a specific area location belonging toor distinguishing one travel destination from another. When reviewingthe qualities 720, additional information may be presented to the userabout each quality. For example, when moving the cursor over theSummertime Quality, additional information such as “Limits search basedon geography and season” may appear to the user. Similarly, when movingthe cursor over the quality “Snowboarding”, additional information“geographic feature and season” may appear. The user may then, inresponse to prompt 715, select certain qualities 720 that he or shedesires in a travel destination. Based on the user's selection for thosequalities 720 that he or she selects, the website may then displaysearch results of travel destinations with respect to those qualities720 or attributes that the user desires. The qualities 720 may not berequired for each search result but may be required in alternativeembodiments. Thus, if a travel destination does not include a particularquality, certain travel options may or may not be listed as a traveloption. It should be understood that any number of qualities can bedisplayed. It should also be understood that the destination qualitiescan include any quality or feature of a destination, including, but notlimited to geographic, climatic, population, demographic, location,urban scene, crime, events, seasonal events, natural recreationalopportunities, man-made recreational opportunities, reputation, types ofvisitors, reviews, and other broad qualities and features.

FIG. 8 is a screenshot of another embodiment of the website for bookingtravel arrangements and shows one embodiment of the search resultswebpage if concierge service is selected. As shown in FIG. 8, anotherembodiment of the search results webpage 800 of the website may comprisetravel options 805, 810. Each travel option may be a potential traveldestination in which the user may select for traveling based on theuser's budget and qualities 720 of the destination selected by the user.Each travel option 805, 810 may comprise: the price for the airfare,price for hotel accommodations, remaining spare cash for the user, andqualities 720 of that travel destination selected by the user. Eachtravel option 805, 810 may also comprise a percentage that may indicatethe proportion of the qualities 720 present in relation to the traveldestination. For example, based on a user's budget of $2,000, traveloption 805 shows that a trip to Cartagena, Colombia may result with anairfare expense of $800, hotel expense of $900, and remaining spare cashof $300. That travel option 805 may also show a percentage of 100% withqualities 720 of Summertime, Budget Friendly, We Be Clubbing, andRomantic. Similarly, travel option 810 shows that a trip to Cancun,Mexico may result with an airfare expense of $700, hotel expense of$1,200, and remaining spare cash of $100 with a percentage of 75% withqualities 720 of Summertime, Budget Friendly, and We Be Clubbing, butnot Romantic. The travel options 805, 810 may be arranged inalphabetical order, based on budget (e.g., from least expensive to mostexpensive airfare, from most expensive hotel to least expensive hotel)or based on percentages (e.g., from highest percentage to lowestpercentage). Although FIG. 8 shows two travel options, it should beunderstood that any number of travel options may be displayed by thewebsite. Additionally, although FIG. 8 shows the travel optionsdisplayed in order of highest percentage, the travel options may bedisplayed in any order.

FIG. 9 is a screenshot of one embodiment of a confirmation email sent bythe server after the travel options have been selected. As shown in FIG.9, one embodiment of a confirmation email 900 may comprise: confirmationmessage 905 and travel discounts/opportunities 910, 915. Theconfirmation message 905 may confirm that the user has selected aparticular travel option and may comprise of the travel destination andtravel dates. The confirmation message 905 may also comprise of otherinformation such as airfare information. The travel discount 910 may beone or more travel options suggested by the website or method 100 andmay comprise of various airfares and travel destinations (e.g., lodgingand hotel accommodations, restaurants, entertainment). Travel discount915 may also be suggested to the user to rate or explain his or hertravel experience in order to get an additional discount for the user'snext purchase.

FIGS. 10A and 10B are flow charts of a preferred embodiment of themethod for booking travel arrangements. Although the steps shown inFIGS. 10A and 10B are shown as contiguous or in order, the steps do notneed to be practiced in the order shown and some steps need not beincluded at all. As shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, a preferred embodimentof the method 1000 may comprise: providing at least one serverconfigured to host a website and providing one or more databases 1005;accessing the website on one or more computer systems by one or moreusers 1010; prompting the one or more users to input a budget, one ormore points of origin, and one or more travel dates by the website 1015;inputting the budget, the one or more points of origin, and the one ormore travel dates by the one or more users 1020; searching the one ormore databases by the website for a plurality of flights based on theone or more points of origin and the one or more travel dates 1025;storing the list of selected flights in the at least one server 1030;searching the one or more databases for a plurality of accommodationsbased on a plurality of destinations listed in the list of selectedflights, the one or more travel dates, and an accommodations cost thatis less than a remaining balance of the budget, such that a plurality ofmatching accommodations is created that matches up with the plurality offlights on the list of selected flights 1040; storing the one or moreplurality of matching accommodations in the at least one server 1045;displaying to the one or more users the list of selected flights and theplurality of matching accommodations 1050; displaying a final balance ofthe budget to the one or more users 1055; prompting the one or moreusers to select a concierge service 1060; receiving a selection of theconcierge service from the one or more users 1065; displaying one ormore travel destinations based on the one or more qualities 1070;displaying a percentage 1075; and selecting by the one or more users atleast one of the plurality of flights listed on the list of selectedflights and at least one of the plurality of matching accommodations,such that an itinerary is created 1080.

FIGS. 10A and 10B show the first step of the method 1000, which may beproviding at least one server configured to host a website and providingone or more databases 1005. As discussed above, the website may be anyset of interconnected webpages that may be prepared and maintained as acollection of information by a person, group, or organization. Thewebsite may be configured to prompt a user to enter his or her usernameand password information and may be capable of receiving and sendinghypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) requests or a web container thatgenerally provides an environment for servlets and Java Server Pages(JSP) to run. Additionally, the website may gather browser history,internet protocol (IP) location, and other information from the user,and may provide additional webpages such as travel blogs to encourageusers to revisit the website and to keep the website relevant insearches by search engines.

The server may be a system (i.e., software and/or suitable computerhardware) that responds to requests across a computer network toprovide, or help to provide, airfare, hotel, and travel accommodationsfor that website. In a preferred embodiment, the server may host thewebsite in the Internet.

The databases are generally one or more collections of pieces ofinformation that are organized and used on a computer or server such asflight information such as flights, airfare, accommodations (e.g., hoteland lodging accommodations). The databases may comprise a “qualities”database, which may be any structured set of data used to characterizecertain qualities of a particular destination. The data and informationcontained in a qualities database may be compiled by a team ofwell-traveled researchers who analyze each particular travel destinationand may also be compiled based on reviews of each travel destination,promotional literature for that travel destination, and the like. In apreferred embodiment, the data and information in the qualities databasemay be used for searching travel arrangements via the concierge service.

FIGS. 10A and 10B show the second step of the method 1000, which may beaccessing the website on one or more computer systems by one or moreusers 1010. A user of a computer system may access the webpages of thewebsite by utilizing a computer system. The computer system may be anydevice with a processor and may comprise a web browser that may beconfigured for a user to visit or access the website to perform themethod 100. After initializing a web browser, the user may visit oraccess the website.

FIGS. 10A and 10B show the third and fourth steps of the method 1000,which may be prompting the one or more users to input a budget, one ormore points of origin, and one or more travel dates by the website 1015and inputting the budget, the one or more points of origin, and the oneor more travel dates by the one or more users 1020. After accessing thewebsite, the website may provide the user with one or more prompts.Specifically, the website may ask the user to input a budget for bookingtravel arrangements, points of origin, and travel dates. The budget isgenerally an estimate of the user's income and expenditure for the trip.The points of origin is generally the point or place for departure of atrip, and the travel dates are generally the start and end dates, inwhich the user travels to and from a particular travel destination. Oncethe user the budget, points of origin, and travel dates, the server mayutilize such information for searching travel information.

Given the budget, travel dates, and points of origin, the fifth andsixth steps of the method 100 may be performed, which generally are:searching the one or more databases by the website for a plurality offlights based on the one or more points of origin and the one or moretravel dates 1025 and storing the list of selected flights in the atleast one server 1030. Here, the budget generally provides theframework, in which the server may search for particular flights.Specifically, the server may utilize the amount of the budget to searchfor certain airfare that is within the user's budget. Similarly, theserver may utilize the travel dates and points of origin to locatecertain trips that begin at a particular place and are available atcertain time frames. For example, a user may input information such as abudget of $5,000, a point of origin of Los Angeles, Calif., and traveldates of January 1 to January 31. Given such information, the server maysearch databases of an affiliate airfare network to search for airfareless than or equal to $5,000. Additionally, the server may also searchfor flights from Los Angeles, Calif. during the time period of January 1to January 31. After locating the flights that satisfy these criteria,the server may then store a list of selected flights in the server andthe search results may be displayed to the user. In an embodiment, thelist of selected flights may be displayed from least expensive airfareto the most expensive airfare.

After located the selected flights within the user's budget, the servermay calculate the remaining balance of the budget, which is generallythe amount of the budget that is less the airfare cost. Given theremaining balance of the budget, the seventh, eighth, and ninth steps ofthe method 100 are generally performed, which may be: searching the oneor more databases for a plurality of accommodations based on a pluralityof destinations listed in the list of selected flights, the one or moretravel dates, and an accommodations cost that is less than a remainingbalance of the budget, such that a plurality of matching accommodationsis created that matches up with the plurality of flights on the list ofselected flights 1040; storing the one or more plurality of matchingaccommodations in the at least one server 1045; and displaying to theone or more users the list of selected flights and the plurality ofmatching accommodations 1050. Here, the remaining budget also provides aframework, in which the server may search for particular accommodationssuch as lodging and hotels. For example, assuming that the user's budgetis $5,000 and that a flight to Japan is $1,000, the server may searchdatabases of an affiliate hotel network to search for matchingaccommodations less than or equal to $4,000 (i.e., the remainingbudget). Similarly, assuming that the user's budget is $5,000 and that aflight to Hong Kong is $1,500, the server may search for matchingaccommodations less than or equal to $3,500, which is generally theremaining budget. After finding accommodations that are within theremaining budget, the server may then store the matching accommodationsin the server. In one embodiment, the matching accommodations may bedisplayed from most expensive to the least expensive in order to providethe user with best available matching accommodations.

FIGS. 10A and 10B also shows the tenth step of the method 1000, whichmay be displaying a final balance of the budget to the one or more users1055. After the search results appear to the user with theircorresponding airfare cost and accommodations cost, a final balance maybe displayed the user. The final balance is generally the amount of thebudget minus the airfare cost and accommodations cost and may displayedto the user as “spare cash”, as shown in FIG. 6.

FIGS. 10A and 10B also shows the eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, andfourteenth steps of the method 1000, which are additional features ofthe method, may be prompting the one or more users to select a conciergeservice 1060; receiving a selection of the concierge service from theone or more users 1065 (this allows the system to take the usersdestination desires into account); displaying one or more traveldestinations based on how the one or more qualities of the destinationmatch up with the desires of the user 1070; and displaying a percentage1075. The website may prompt or ask the user if the user would like toproceed with concierge server. As discussed above, the concierge servicemay allow the user to select certain travel destinations based on thedynamic preferences of the user or the desired qualities of the traveldestinations. Assuming that the user selects concierge service, theserver may perform an additional task of searching the qualitiesdatabase that contains information as to the qualities of eachparticular travel destination. The data and information contained in aqualities database may be compiled by a team of well-traveledresearchers and may also be compiled based on reviews of each traveldestination, promotional literature for that travel destination, and thelike. After finding relevant travel destinations based upon certainqualities of the destinations, the search results may be displayed tothe user. In various embodiments, the search results of the traveldestinations may also show a percentage, which shows show well thelisted destinations generally have the qualities desired by the user.

Finally, FIGS. 10A and 10B shows the final step of the method 1000,which may be selecting by the one or more users at least one of theplurality of flights listed on the list of selected flights and at leastone of the plurality of matching accommodations, such that an itineraryis created 1080. Given the search results of information regardingairfare, matching accommodations, and travel destinations, the user mayselect those travel options that he or she desires, thereby creating anitinerary for his or her travel. Alternatively, the user may modifycomponents of the travel options to further customize his or heritinerary. Further, the user may increase his or her airfare budget ormodify the airfare by class, dates, and layovers.

Although FIGS. 10A and 10B shows only fifteen steps, it should beunderstood that any number of steps may be used, and that some steps maybe performed at the same time or out of order. For example, stepsinvolving the concierge service may specifically be omitted. The websitemay also display relevant travel destinations along with the eachrelevant flight and hotel information.

While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one ofordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be thebest mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand andappreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents ofthe specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The inventionshould therefore not be limited by the above described embodiment,method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within thescope and spirit of the invention as claimed.

The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the inventionhas been presented for the purposes of illustration and description.While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments of thepresent invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art fromthe above detailed description, which shows and describes illustrativeembodiments of the invention. As will be realized, the invention iscapable of modifications in various obvious aspects, all withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the present invention.Accordingly, the detailed description is to be regarded as illustrativein nature and not restrictive. Also, although not explicitly recited,one or more embodiments of the invention may be practiced in combinationor conjunction with one another. Furthermore, the reference ornon-reference to a particular embodiment of the invention shall not beinterpreted to limit the scope the invention. It is intended that thescope of the invention not be limited by this detailed description, butby the claims and the equivalents to the claims that are appendedhereto.

Except as stated immediately above, nothing which has been stated orillustrated is intended or should be interpreted to cause a dedicationof any component, step, feature, object, benefit, advantage, orequivalent to the public, regardless of whether it is or is not recitedin the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for booking travel arrangements,comprising: providing at least one server configured to host a website;providing one or more databases; wherein said website is configured toaccess said one or more databases; accessing said website on one or morecomputer systems by one or more users; prompting said one or more usersto input a budget, one or more points of origin, and one or more traveldates by said website; inputting said budget, said one or more points oforigin, and said one or more travel dates by said one or more users;searching said one or more databases by said website for a plurality offlights based on said one or more points of origin and said one or moretravel dates; wherein said plurality of flights have an airfare costthat is less than said budget, such that a list of selected flights isgenerated; storing said list of selected flights in said at least oneserver; searching said one or more databases for a plurality ofaccommodations based on a plurality of destinations listed in said listof selected flights, said one or more travel dates, and anaccommodations cost that is less than a remaining balance of saidbudget, such that a plurality of matching accommodations is created thatmatches up with said plurality of flights on said list of selectedflights; wherein said remaining balance is an amount of said budget lesssaid airfare cost; storing said one or more plurality of matchingaccommodations in said at least one server; and displaying to said oneor more users said list of selected flights and said plurality ofmatching accommodations.
 2. The method for booking travel arrangementsof claim 1, further comprising: selecting by said one or more users atleast one of said plurality of flights listed on said list of selectedflights and at least one of said plurality of matching accommodations,such that an itinerary is created.
 3. The method for booking travelarrangements of claim 1, wherein said website does not prompt said oneor more users to enter one or more travel destinations when said one ormore users input said budget.
 4. The method for booking travelarrangements of claim 1, wherein said displaying step of said pluralityof matching accommodations further comprises the step of: displayingsaid plurality of matching accommodations from most expensive to leastexpensive.
 5. The method for booking travel arrangements of claim 1,further comprising: displaying a final balance of said budget to saidone or more users; wherein said final balance is an amount of saidbudget less said airfare cost and an accommodations cost.
 6. The methodfor booking travel arrangements of claim 1, wherein at least one of saidone or more databases comprise a qualities database; wherein saidqualities database comprises a data of one or more qualities of one ormore travel destinations.
 7. The method for booking hotel and travel ofclaim 4, further comprising the step: prompting said one or more usersto select a concierge service; wherein said concierge service isconfigured to allow said one or more users to search one or more traveldestinations based on said one or more qualities of said one or moretravel destinations.
 8. The method for booking travel arrangements ofclaim 6, wherein said one or qualities is selected from the group ofqualities consisting of: a geographic region, a seasonal activity, and alanguage.
 9. The method for booking travel arrangements of claim 6,further comprising the step of: displaying said one or more traveldestinations based on said one or more qualities.
 10. The method forbooking travel arrangements of claim 6, wherein said displaying step ofsaid one or more travel destinations based on said one or morequalities, further comprises the step of: displaying a percentage;wherein said percentage is a proportion of said one or more qualities inrelation to said one or more travel destinations.
 11. A method forbooking travel arrangements, comprising: providing at least one serverconfigured to host a website; providing one or more databases; whereinsaid website is configured to access said one or more databases;accessing said website on one or more computer systems by one or moreusers; prompting said one or more users to input a budget, one or morepoints of origin, and one or more travel dates by said website;inputting said budget, said one or more points of origin, and said oneor more travel dates by said one or more users; searching said one ormore databases by said website for a plurality of flights based on saidone or more points of origin and said one or more travel dates; whereinsaid plurality of flights have an airfare cost that is less than saidbudget, such that a list of selected flights is generated; storing saidlist of selected flights in said at least one server; searching said oneor more databases for a plurality of accommodations based on a pluralityof destinations listed in said list of selected flights, said one ormore travel dates, and an accommodations cost that is less than aremaining balance of said budget, such that a plurality of matchingaccommodations is created that matches up with said plurality of flightson said list of selected flights; wherein said remaining balance is anamount of said budget less said airfare cost; storing said one or moreplurality of matching accommodations in said at least one server;displaying to said one or more users said list of selected flights andsaid plurality of matching accommodations; and selecting by said one ormore users at least one of said plurality of flights listed on said listof selected flights and said plurality of matching accommodations, suchthat an itinerary is created.
 12. The method for booking travelarrangements of claim 11, wherein said website does not prompt said oneor more users to enter one or more travel destinations when said one ormore users input said budget.
 13. The method for booking travelarrangements of claim 12, wherein said displaying step of said pluralityof matching accommodations, further comprises the step of: displayingsaid plurality of matching accommodations from most expensive to leastexpensive.
 14. The method for booking travel arrangements of claim 13,further comprising: displaying a final balance of said budget to saidone or more users; wherein said final balance is an amount of saidbudget less said airfare cost and said accommodations cost.
 15. Themethod for booking travel arrangements of claim 14, wherein at least oneof said one or more databases comprise a qualities database; whereinsaid qualities database comprises a data of one or more qualities ofsaid one or more travel destinations.
 16. The method for booking hoteland travel of claim 15, further comprising the step: prompting said oneor more users to select a concierge service; wherein said conciergeservice is configured to allow said one or more users to search said oneor more travel destinations based on said one or more qualities of saidone or more travel destinations.
 17. The method for booking travelarrangements of claim 16, wherein said one or qualities is selected fromthe group of qualities consisting of: a geographic region, a seasonalactivity, and a language.
 18. The method for booking travel arrangementsof claim 17, further comprising the step of: displaying said one or moretravel destinations based on said one or more qualities.
 19. The methodfor booking travel arrangements of claim 18, wherein said displayingstep of said one or more travel destinations based on said one or morequalities, further comprises the step of: displaying a percentage;wherein said percentage is a proportion of said one or more qualities inrelation to said one or more travel destinations.
 20. A method forbooking travel arrangements, comprising: providing at least one serverconfigured to host a website; providing one or more databases; whereinsaid website is configured to access said one or more databases;accessing said website on one or more computer systems by one or moreusers; prompting said one or more users to input a budget, one or morepoints of origin, and one or more travel dates by said website;inputting said budget, said one or more points of origin, and said oneor more travel dates by said one or more users; wherein said websitedoes not prompt said one or more users to enter one or more traveldestinations when said one or more users input said budget; searchingsaid one or more databases by said website for a plurality of flightsbased on said one or more points of origin and said one or more traveldates; wherein said plurality of flights have an airfare cost that isless than said budget, such that a list of selected flights isgenerated; storing said list of selected flights in said at least oneserver; searching said one or more databases for a plurality ofaccommodations based on a plurality of destinations listed in said listof selected flights, said one or more travel dates, and anaccommodations cost that is less than a remaining balance of saidbudget, such that a plurality of matching accommodations is created thatmatches up with said plurality of flights on said list of selectedflights; wherein said remaining balance is an amount of said budget lesssaid airfare cost; storing said one or more plurality of matchingaccommodations in said at least one server; wherein at least one of saidone or more databases comprise a qualities database; wherein saidqualities database comprises a data of one or more qualities of said oneor more travel destinations. prompting said one or more users to selecta concierge service; wherein said concierge service is configured toallow said one or more users to search said one or more traveldestinations based on said one or more qualities of said one or moretravel destinations; receiving a selection of said concierge servicefrom said one or more users; displaying to said one or more users saidlist of selected flights, said plurality of matching accommodations, afinal balance of said budget, one or more travel destinations based onsaid one or more qualities, and a percentage; wherein said final balanceis an amount of said budget less said airfare cost and saidaccommodations cost; wherein said percentage is a proportion of said oneor more qualities in relation to said one or more travel destinations;and selecting by said one or more users at least one of said pluralityof flights listed on said list of selected flights and at least one ofsaid plurality of matching accommodations, such that an itinerary iscreated.